Simonton Windows

electricguySeptember 21, 2012

ok, took your advice and looked at some higher end windows. as i said, i thought the alside excalibur, silverline, MI, and Bonded all looked cheaply made and you guys validated that for me. so, here i am looking at higher end windows.

first was the simonton 9800 and 5500. i was a bit disappointed with how bulky it was and the performance numbers seemed to be lacking quite a bit. dont get me wrong, it didnt seem like a bad window but just not up there with the others i saw. Simonton is off my list.

second was Soft Lite Elements. great looking window, solid, and great performance numbers. this is what a high end window should look like.

Third was the Okna 800 EnviroStar. another beautiful looking window with exceptional performance numbers and built very well.

Lastly, the Sunrise Vanguard. nice looking window with good numbers, just liked the okna and soft lite better. Sunrise is also a few steps above the simonton in my opinion.

So, where does this leave me. i am caught between the Soft Lite Elements and the Okna 800 EnviroStar windows. the Okna did come in a bit cheaper than the soft lite but i am not basing my decison on price alone. both contractors are well regarded and were very informative.

There are several excellent guys on here who know vinyl windows and I am 100% certain they will steer you in the proper direction. But from what I know of the vinyl windows you have done very good homework and I don't believe you would go wrong with either choice.

The Elements and the 800 are two of the top vinyl window choices that you will find, and are very comparable. It sounds like your thoughts on your choices are spot-on. As far as differences, the Okna has a little bit more glass space and the nice metal lift rails, while the Elements offers the tilt latch/lock combo which is a cool feature. As MWM said, you really can't go wrong either way on product as they are both phenomenal choices. I'd base your decision on which deal is better and which company that you feel more comfortable with.

both products ( Elements and Okna 800 ) are 2 of the best windows in the industry. Sunrise Restoration and the Gorell 5300 are up there as well.
to me, Simonton is an underwhelming window . it just doesnt have the features or performance numbers as the aforementioned offerings.

i think both the Soft Lite Elements and Okna 800 are beautiful windows; i also liked the Sunrise Vanguard and Gorell 5300.
We chose the Okna 800. reason: we really liked the metallic handle and actually upgraded to the antique brass.
will touch base after the install.

I'm looking at vinyl windows for new construction as well. My contractor wants to use Alliance Windgate. Do any of you have experience with these windows? If they aren't good, why not; if they are, why? I'd mentioned Simonton to him but he'd never heard of.

local contractors mostly use the cheapest material they can find and then tell their customers the same thing; " we've used them a long time and never had any problems".. i guarantee if a real window pro checked out the install and the windows, the contractor would look very foolish.
Alliance is a lower grade product . regardless of your budget, increase it and spend your money wisely on quality. there is no corner cutting when it comes to windows. you simply get what you pay for.

+1 to mmarse's comments. In addition, if your contractor has never heard of Simonton then that is a pretty major RED FLAG that he has very little knowledge on windows. Whether you like them or not, they are far and away the most well-known among vinyl manufacturers.

Electricguy, the ergonomic/ease of use is a valid issue in that location, however I generally prefer an awning there. More glass, clear view, and costs less than a twin casement.
Perhaps the shape of the opening lends itself better to the twin, and that is why he recommended it?

Thanks for comments on Alliance v. Simonton. I also looked at other manufacturers in this thread and seems most make replacement windows not new (except Okna). I'm now looking at the Simonton 600 series. I wanted to have wood grain interior as have 2 3-panel sliding patio doors and wasn't sure how they'd look if just went with tan. On other hand, my trim is natural pine. So not sure how the oak window and pine trim would look v. just tan windows and pine trim. Any thoughts on either the Simonton 600 or the oak/pine combo welcome.

@electricguy, how much did it cost for OKNA 800? I got a quote of $11,680 for 17 windows and one sliding patio door. This is in Chicago area. Do you guys know any good contractor for this window in Chicago area? Which kind of warranty okna gives? I tried to look web for the warranty and didn't find any. Normally labor warranty timeframe?

thats an excellent price for the okna 800 .
labor warranties are covered by the contractr not the manufacturer( only product),
okna gives a life time product warranty.
most reputable contractors give 2 years labor warranties and some lifetime.
rarely is a labor warranty transferrable and understandably so.

thats an excellent price for the okna 800 .
labor warranties are covered by the contractr not the manufacturer( only product),
okna gives a life time product warranty.
most reputable contractors give 2 years labor warranties and some lifetime.
rarely is a labor warranty transferrable and understandably so.